The Green Bay Packers improved to 7-3-1 overall and 2-0 against the NFC North with a 23-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Matt LaFleur’s team has now won back-to-back games ahead of next Thursday’s Thanksgiving battle with the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

Here’s what went right, what went wrong and what it means for the Packers moving forward:

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What went right

— The Packers defense dominated. The Vikings scored six total points (via two field goals over 50 yards), produced 145 total yards, had a turnover on downs inside the red zone and turned the ball over twice via interceptions. The defense created five sacks of J.J. McCarthy, including two each from Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt.

— The second half was ALL Packers. The Vikings actually lost one yard across five empty possessions: three three-and-outs and two interceptions. What was a 10-6 game at half quickly erupted.

— The Packers special teams got a huge takeaway from Zayne Anderson off a terrific punt from Daniel Whelan, and Brandon McManus made all five of his kicks, including a pair of field goals in the second half. Whelan put three punts inside the 20-yard line and allowed only 11 return yards.

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— Emanuel Wilson replaced Josh Jacobs and rushed 28 times for 107 yards and two scores. He averaged only 3.8 yards per carry, but Wilson had several runs of at least eight yards, providing the spark on several drives. Both of his touchdowns were hard-earned 1-yarders.

— The Packers offense used tempo on a few drives and it worked, including on the opening drive touchdown. There was a rhythm to the calls in hurry up. This is a changeup we could see more for the Packers down the stretch.

— Christian Watson extended a pair of drives with conversions on third down, including a 12-yard catch on 3rd-and-3 to keep the opening drive going. He’s becoming a go-to player for Jordan Love in big spots.

— Even after losing Keisean Nixon to an injury, the Packers kept Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor to four catches on eight targets for 48 yards. Jefferson had all the production — Addison and Nailor were shutout.

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— Isaiah McDuffie replaced Quay Walker as an every-down linebacker and made a bunch of big plays. Among them: a third down stop on T.J. Hockenson, a third-down stop on Hockenson’s sneak attempt, a sack of McCarthy and an interception of McCarthy.

— The Packers won the turnover battle 3-0. The three takeaways were a season high, and the Packers improved to 6-0 when not committing a turnover this season.

— The Packers held the ball for 37 minutes. The run game was effective, and the defense consistently and quickly got off the field during the second half. A comfortable win where you dominate the ball is a good way to go into a short week.

— Evan Williams had a tackle for loss against the run and the dagger interception in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive week.

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What went wrong

— The Packers offense was conversative, running the ball 42 times and protecting Jordan Love — who was playing through a left shoulder injury — from a blitz-happy Vikings defense. It was the way the Packers needed to play considering all the injuries on offense, but the conversative nature certainly limited the scoring potential in a few spots.

— The Vikings had the run game going early. Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones both had over 40 yards rushing in the first half, and Mason had an explosive run (22 yards). The good news here is the production was stopped in its track in the second half.

— The Packers were unable to convert 3rd-and-3 (-1-yard run) and 3rd-and-3 (1-yard run) in the fourth quarter and had to settle for field goals.

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— The passing game didn’t much done down the field. Dontayvion Wicks had an 18-yard catch-and-run setting up a touchdown, and Romeo Doubs caught an 18-yard pass on a deep dig route. But Jordan Love averaged only 6.6 yards per attempt and 9.7 yards per completion against an aggressive defense that consistently pressured him.

What it means

The Packers got another valuable win in the division, improving their record to 2-0 against the NFC North and ensuring the Vikings — who entered the week in last place — wouldn’t get into the race over the final six weeks. There are three teams in the NFC North with at least seven wins, so every single week from here on out will be important to determining the champion. However, it’s difficult to project how the Packers won on Sunday will translate down the stretch because of the elements involved. The Packers were overly run dominant and conservative because of the opposing defensive coordinator and the opposing quarterback. Still, credit goes to the Packers for winning on the ground without Josh Jacobs (could Anthony Belton be the answer at right guard?) and dominating defensively, especially in the second half. This was a winning performance that featured complementary football. Consistently winning the line of scrimmage, getting positive contributions from all three phases and finishing strong will be required every week down the stretch.

What’s next

The Packers will go on the road on short rest to play the Detroit Lions (7-4) at Ford Field on Thanksgiving Day. Matt LaFleur’s team beat the Lions in Week 1 at Lambeau Field. The last time these teams played on Thanksgiving Day was 2023, when Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes and the Packers produced three takeaways in a 29-22 win — sparking a late season run. The Packers will need another one in 2025 because the final six games are nothing short of a gauntlet.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Breaking down Packers’ 23-6 win over Vikings: What went right, wrong